


Life goes on

by mookitano10



Series: broken bones series [4]
Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Domestic Fluff, M/M, Past Character Death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-11
Updated: 2014-08-11
Packaged: 2018-02-12 16:05:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,449
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2116116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mookitano10/pseuds/mookitano10
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Merlin and Arthur learn that life with two children can be difficult and rewarding at the same time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Life goes on

The weeks following the devastating tragedy were hard. Merlin and Arthur moved all of the toys and furniture from the nursery and Sophia’s room into their spare room and moved the bed out into a storage unit with the rest of Morgana and Leon’s belongings. They had to sell the house to cover both Morgana and the new baby’s medical expenses. Luckily Morgana and Leon had a life insurance policy that covered their funerals and some of the other expenses. 

By the time the new baby was well enough to leave the hospital the house had been sold, Sophia had turned five, and Arthur and Merlin had completely changed their lives around to accommodate the small little humans that they were now responsible for. 

Sophia loved spending time with uncle Arthur and uncle Merlin but she wished her mommy and Leon would come home soon (She was still too young to understand that they weren’t coming back.) She loved staying up late and watching movies with them, she loved going to the park with Merlin and feeding the ducks, and he always got her ice cream afterwards. She was a little confused when they moved her stuff from her bedroom at home into their spare room but she decided it wasn’t all that bad. That way she could stay with them and have her toys and she loved the new toys uncle Arthur had bought her. 

One thing she didn’t love was the new creature she was forced to share a room with. It was loud and it smelled funny. It also took the grownup’s attention away from her. They kept telling her that she and her new sister would get along soon enough but she didn’t believe them. She wanted nothing to do with the noisy little monster. 

. . . 

“Your turn.” Merlin mumbled as he turned over and tried to go back to sleep despite the sounds of the baby crying in the next room.

Arthur groaned and considered pushing Merlin out of the bed. “Maybe she’ll go back to sleep.” He said in a hopeful tone. Merlin scoffed. 

With another groan Arthur heaved himself out of bed and headed down the hall. Lily (they decided to name the baby Morgana Lily Pendragon. They called her Lily so it wouldn’t confuse Sophia.) was lying in her crib waving her arms about and screaming to be picked up. Arthur looked over at Sophia in wonder at how she could sleep through all the noise. 

“Come here Lil.” He whispered to the baby as he picked her up. The infant quieted for a second and then started wailing again. Arthur sighed. 

After the baby had been fed, changed, and rocked to sleep Arthur stumbled back to his bed climbed in next to a blissfully unconscious Merlin. He scowled at his partner for a few minutes before succumbing to sleep himself. 

When he awoke the next morning it was to the smell of coffee and pancakes. There was a high-pitched giggle followed by the sound of tiny feet coming toward him. Before he realized what was going on Sophie had thrown open his bedroom door and launched herself onto the bed next to him.

“Uncle Arthur wake up we mad you breakfast!” She crooned loudly. Arthur had to fight the wave of emotion that crashed over him when he remembered her mother doing the same thing when they were children. 

“Ok Soph I’ll be there in a minute.” 

The child hopped off the bed and bounded out the door. 

“Uncle Merlin he said he’d be out in a minute.” She called loudly. Arthur herd Merlin gently reprimand her for being too loud. He sighed and flopped back down on the pillows not wanting to get up just yet. The sound of Lily’s cry told him that would not be an option. With a sigh he got up and headed for the crying infant. 

Arthur walked into the kitchen holding a very fussy Lily and sporting some pretty astonishing bed-head. Merlin smiled at his fiancé. 

“Morning handsome.” Arthur scowled at him in response and then sat heavily in one of the chairs. Merlin took pity on him and handed over a fresh cup of coffee. 

“Thanks.” Arthur sipped at his coffee for a moment before getting up and preparing a bottle for the baby.

“We’re meeting with the lawyer this afternoon to sign the adoption papers. Kim’s coming over to watch the girls for a while and I was thinking we could go out for dinner after. How does that sound?” 

“I don’t want to leave Kim with the girls all night she’s still got a lot to get done before she moves to Washington.” Arthur sighed. He really wanted to go out to dinner with Merlin. They hadn’t had a moment to themselves in months and he was desperate for some alone time.

“It was her idea actually. She said to take advantage of her presence for the next few weeks and call her whenever we needed a sitter.” Merlin set a plate of cut up pancakes in front of Sophie and then returned to the stove.

“Auntie Kim is coming to play with me?” She asked excitedly before shoving a forkful of pancake in her mouth. 

“Yes she is. Will you be a good girl for her?” Merlin asked. The child nodded enthusiastically. 

“Fantastic.” Merlin smiled. For the next several minutes the kitchen was quiet but for the sound of the baby sucking down the contents of her bottle, Sophia’s fork scraping across her plate, and Merlin humming to himself as he cooked. 

Arthur looked around at his family and smiled. After today they would be a family. He and Merlin would officially be the fathers to two beautiful little girls. It was what he’d wanted since he met Merlin. His emotions were conflicting. He was excited and happy about the prospect of a future and a life with the amazing man in front of him and the two little girls and any other future children they might adopt but he was extremely saddened by they way their family started with the sudden loss of his sister and her husband. 

. . . 

 

“Alright Mr. Pendragon if you’ll just sign here on the dotted line.” The lawyer pointed to the line at the bottom of the paper and Arthur signed it. “Now Mr. Emrys on the line below.” Merlin signed as well.

“Is that it then?” Arthur asked. 

“For now. There will be a caseworker assigned to you and he or she will visit every so often just as a follow up to see how things are going. Nothing to invasive don’t worry.” The man smiled and shook their hands then showed them out of his office.

“Go enjoy your new family.” He said with a grin. 

“That was easier than I thought it would be.” Merlin commented as they walked down the sidewalk towards their favorite Chinese restaurant. 

“Yeah I know. You’d think we just signed the papers for a new car or something not papers that would determine what happens to two little girls.”

“He made it seem like anyone could just walk in and say they wanted a kid and all it would take is a few signatures and voilà you’re a parent.” Merlin waved his hands around as he spoke, earning some stares from passersby’s. 

“They did do background checks and house visits Merlin, remember?” 

“I know but it all went so fast and smoothly. I wasn’t expecting that. What if they’re wrong? What if were not fit to be parents?’ This was the first time Arthur had heard Merlin voice any doubts about adopting the girls. 

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just. . . I don’t know how to be a dad. Especially not to two little girls, I don’t know anything about girls. What if I screw up? This isn’t a houseplant Arthur they’re two little people. Living, breathing, people with their entire lives ahead of them and suddenly I’m responsible for them.” Merlin was starting to hyperventilate. 

“Whoa whoa, Merlin calm down. Where is all of this coming from?” Arthur gripped the other man by the arms and forced him to look at him. 

“I’m scared.” Merlin whispered and refused to look Arthur in the eye.

“I am too Merlin and the only thing that keeps me from having a meltdown every day is the knowledge that I’m not doing this alone.” Merlin looked up at Arthur shocked. 

“You’re scared too?” Arthur nodded.

“I thought it was just me.” Merlin sighed and rested his forehead against Arthur’s.

“We’ll be alright. The girls will be alright. We just have to take it one day at a time ok Merls?”

“Ok.”


End file.
